Cabinet door openers



Nov. 7, 1961 w. w. BELL, JR 3,007,695

CABINET DOOR OPENERS Filed Nov. 10, 958

FIG. 3

20 \\v I "I11 27 I JNVENTOR.

WILLIAM W. BELL, JR.

WVJQL A T TORNE Y Um itates 3fi7fi95 Patented Nov. 7., i361 ire 3,007,695 CABINET DOOR GPENERS William W. Bell, Jr., Marceilus, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 772,758 4 Claims. (til. 268-72) This invention relates to refrigerator or freezer cabinet constructions, more particularly to a foot operated door or closure opener for a refrigerator or freezer cabinet.

Domestic refrigerators of the type currently in wide spread use are required to provide on the doors thereof burstable or escape latches. Thus, if a child is inadvertently trapped inside the unit the door may be opened by a relatively small force exerted against the inside of the door. In units of this type there is still a need for a foot operated mechanism for opening the door or closure member. This invention pertains to a door opening mechanism arranged to impart to the outer surface of the door of a cabinet of the kind under consideration a force similar to that necessary to open the door by one trapped inside. Any pedal structure provided must be such as to prevent marring of the floor area surrounding the domestic refrigerator cabinet as a result of the application of foot pressure to the pedal. Additionally the pedal structure must be cooked for opening operation when the refrigerator cabinet door is closed.

It is with the above problems in mind that the pres ent means have been evolved, means permitting the opening of a refrigerator cabinet door by the application of pedal pressure to release the door from engagement by a burstable latch. The novel pedal actuated door opening means are simple in fabrication and limited in movement between a door opening, and closed door position whereby marring of the surrounding area is prevented and possible override of the pedal structure by the closing force of the door is prevented.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide novel door opening means.

Another object is to provide novel refrigerator door opening means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foot actuated refrigerator cabinet door opener.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door opening structure limited in its movement between a closed door position and an open door position whereby the surrounding area will not be marred by operation of the door opener.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a refrigerator cabinet door opener simple of design and hav ing a minimum number of parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinet door opening structure for use in releasing the door from engagement with a burstable latch.

These and other objects of the invention which will become apparent in the following specification and claims are achieved by provision of a foot operated pedal structure arranged at the lower front part of a domestic refrigerator cabinet which forces the door out of engagement with a latch mechanism causing the door to be opened. A pedal is pivotally arranged at the side of the cabinet to move a striker lever against a striker plate secured to the door thus forcing the door to an open po sition. The pedal and lever structure are secured to a shaft pivoted in a bushing having a pin extending therethrough which limits the motion of the pedal. As will become hereinafter more apparent this pin functions to prevent the pedal from striking the floor area about th refrigerator cabinet, and further prevents possible override of the striker lever by the closing force of the striker plate. Alignment of the door and the door opener RH is achieved by use of washers on the shaft between pedal and bushing.

A primary feature of the invention resides in the provision of a foot operated pedal structure having a pm which serves to maintain the pedal structure in assembled position, and serves further to limit the movement of the pedal so that marring of the floor area is prevented and shutting the door cocks the pedal for subse quent opening action.

Another feature of the invention resides in the shape of the striker lever which engages the striker plate with a wiping action to minimize wear. The wiping action is such that different portions of the lever contact the striker plate during the course of the opening operation, whereby the wear is distributed over a relatively large area.

The specific structural details of a preferred embodiment of tthe invention, and the mode of operation will be made most manifest and particularly pointed out in full, clear, concise, and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a partial perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet with the door closed, showing the novel foot operated door opener arranged at the bottom left of the cabinet;

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of the door oper1- er shown mounted on a cabinet with parts broken away to reveal the structural details;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2 showing how the components are assembled;

FIG. 4 represents a side view of the novel foot operated door opener as seen in FIG. 1 in cocked position ready for opening of the door of the cabinet; and

FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the door opener in position after the door has been opened.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be taken to designate like parts. As best seen in the drawings, the novel door opener 10 is illustrated as arranged in combination with refrigerator cabinet 11 having a refrigerated compartment 12 and a door 13. The cabinet here shown is provided with feet 15 extending outwardly from the cabinet beneath door 13. These outwardly extending feet 15 are provided to resist any turning moment produced by the opening of the rather heavy door 13 which might tend to topple the cabinet 11.

The side of door 13 is provided with a striker plate 17 secured to the door by means of fas'tenings 18 such as screws, rivets, or the like. Apertures 19 are provided in striker plate 17 through which the fastening members 18 extend.

As best seen in FIG. 2 the door opener structure 10 comprises a pedal 20 having a guide flange 21 extending upwardly along one side thereof. A striker lever 22 having a rounded nose portion 23 formed at the upper part thereof is formed integrally with the pedal 2% and flange 21. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pedal 24), flange 21, and lever 22 are formed integrally by casting. However, these components may obviously be formed in a variety of other ways.

A bushing 25 is formed at the lower part of the cabinet 11 to which the novel door opener is applied. Bushing 25 is here shown as arranged within a well formed in leg 15. Shaft 27 is extended through bushing 25 into an aperture 28 formed in pedal 20, as best seen in FIG. 3. Set screws 29 engage shaft 27 to maintain the shaft and pedal 20 in assembled relationship. Pin 30 is extended through aperture 31 in shaft 27, and suitable washers between any of the relatively moving parts may be pro vided as described above.

The aforedisclosed door opener structure has been described in conjunction with a refrigerator cabinet, where the door opener is shown arranged for foot operation, it will be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that the door opening structure may readily be applied in conjunction with a variety of door members, and may be positioned for actuation either by foot, elbow, knee, or the like, since all that is required is downward pressure on the pedal 20. The door which will be opened is normally held in closed position by a latching mechanism (not shown). The specific application here contemplated relates to a burstable latch such as now required on refrigerator cabinets. Obviously the same features may be employed in conjunction with other doors, latched so as to permit opening by the application of pressure from either side of the door, such as the conventional over center screen door latch, or a large variety of magnetic latches.

In the instant application, the door opener is shown mounted on the lower left of a refrigerator cabinet 11 as best seen in FIG. 1. This is accomplished by providing a bushed aperture in the side of the cabinet, as shown by bushing 25 in FIG. 2, and extending shaft 27 through the bushing after assembly with pedal 24). Pin 30* is then inserted through aperture 3 1 to maintain the parts in assembled relationship. It will be observed that pin 30 prevents axial movement between the components. Pin 30 is extended to bear against the bottom of foot 15 thus limiting rotation of shaft 27. When it is desired to open door 13, it is merely necessary to apply pressure to pedal 20, thereby causing striker lever 22 to move against striker plate 17 which forces door 13 away from the cabinet compartment 12. Pin 3-1} as viewed in FIG. 4 strikes the underside of compartment 121 thus limiting the downward motion of pedal 20, as viewed in FIG. 4. This prevents the pedal 20 from striking the floor adjacent the cabinet 11 and prevents marring. When the door is closed plate 17 engages striker lever 22' causing it to rotate to the position shown in FIGURE 4. It will be further observed that pin as viewed in FIG. 3 limits rotation of pedal 20 in a counterclockwise direction to a point permitting cocking of the door opener for a subsequent door opening operation.

It is thus seen that a novel door opener structure has been provided particularly adapted for use in conjunction with a refrigerator cabinet to permit foot operation for opening of the cabinet door. The novel door opener comprises a minimal number of components, simple in assembly and requiring little or no maintenance.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A door opening device for use with hingedly mounted doors of the type having a burstable latch for retaining the door in a closed position against a compartment, said device being positioned adjacent the lower portion of said door and adapted to be operated by a users foot, said device being independent of said burstable latch, said device comprising a striker plate secured to said door at a point adjacent the lower portion thereof and spaced from the axis of the door hinge and movable with said door, said door opener having a pair of rigid integrally connected lever arms extending from a pivotal axis about which said opener is mounted for rotation, said opener being mounted upon a stationary point whereby said striker plate on said door moves respectively away and toward said opener when said door is opened and closed, said striker plate including a shoulder facing said compartment and projecting externally from a side of said door, said opener having an upwardly extending striker shoulder on one of said arms opposing said first named shoulder and in contact therewith when said door is in a closed position, said other lever arm of said opener being disposed at an angle with respect to said one arm and extending externally and generally horizontally of said compartment in a direction from said axis aWay from said compartment and adapted to be contacted by a users foot so that a downward force exerted by a users foot in contact therewith is transmitted through said one arm to said shoulder of said striker plate by rotation of said opener about said pivotal axis to burst said latch by pivoting said door on its hinge away from said compartment.

2. A door opening device as defined in claim 1 wherein said pivotal axis includes a transversely extending substantially horizontal shaft secured to said lever arms and wherein said device includes a pin secured to said shaft and relatively fixed stop means are associated with said pin to restrict movement of said striker shoulder between a door opening position and a cocked position.

3. A door opening device for use with a hingedly mounted door of a cabinet having a burstable magnetic door latch, said door opening device being independent of said magnetic latch and being located adjacent the lower portion of said cabinet thereby being adapted to be actuated by a users foot, said door opening device comprising an upwardly disposed striker lever having a shoulder thereon facing said cabinet door and a generally horizontally disposed pedal member disposed at an angle with said striker lever, said pedal member being integral with said striker lever, a substantially horizontally disposed transverse shaft member secured to said pedal member and said striker lever, said shaft member comprising an axis about which said pedal member and striker lever is mounted for rotation upon a relatively fixed point, said pedal member extending from said axis in a direction away from said cabinet and being adapted to be contacted by the users foot, and a strike plate secured exteriorally of said door, said striker plate having a shoulder thereon facing said cabinet opposing said shoulder on said striker lever, said shoulder on said striker plate being positioned to contact said opposing shoulder on said striker lever when said door is in a closed position whereby in use a downward pressure on said pedal member exerted by the users foot thereon pivots said striker lever about said axis in a direction to exert force on said shoulder of said striker plate to open said door and whereby manual closure of said door rotates said door opening device in the reverse direction thereby cocking said door opening device for subsequent use.

4. A door opening device as defined in claim 3 including a pin secured to said shaft and relatively fixed stop means cooperable with said pin to restrict rotation of said striker lever between a door opening position and a cocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,244,910 Smith Oct. 30, 1917 1,592,213 Klickner July 13, 1926 1,611,386 Stanley Dec. 21, 1926 2,844,402 Hughes July 22, 1958 2,869,952 Saunders Jan. 20, 1959 

